Tips for Maximum Weight Loss with Wii Fit Games

Nintendo Wii Fit is one of the most enduring pieces of fitness technology. Released in 2009, it was a huge part of making fitness-oriented tech a part of everyday life.

Wii Fit’s release (and subsequent popularity) was a huge part of making wearable activity trackers, endless fitness apps, and other household fitness technology part of everyday life.

Despite its popularity, there have been some legitimate criticisms of Wii Fit and its ability to deliver on the promises that it makes. Those purchasing and using the Wii Fit system as a magic cure-all for their weight and fitness dreams have been disappointed when they didn’t immediately drop the pounds they thought that they should.

The truth is, just like any other form of exercise, Wii Fit is a tool that can be used either effectively or ineffectively.

Like many fitness gadgets on the market, without hard work and dedication Wii Fit is just another video game with an expensive board attachment.

Wii Fit is an incredible piece of technology with great potential, and with winter coming it’s the perfect time to dig it out of the basement and put it to work! By using well-designed and targeted games, following key tips for fitness success, and staying motivated over time, you can use Wii Fit to easily reach your fitness goals.

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Why is Wii Fit Such a Great Fitness Tool?

Nintendo (true to form) did an excellent job with their design of Wii Fit.

The unassuming balance board has a nearly unlimited amount of potential, which has been harnessed effectively by both Nintendo’s base game and several third-party games designed to be used with the Wii Balance Board. Games have been designed that target nearly every aspect of fitness, including strength training, flexibility training, and cardio activities.

No matter the activity, the balance board’s sensors allow games to provide feedback to players in real-time, improving players’ form and motivation while exercising. The sensors also allow games to record information about an individual user’s weight, performance abilities and improvement over time which can be invaluable for users interested in measuring their success.

In addition to all this, Wii Fit is a great option for those who struggle with being physically active in public, who don’t have easy access to fitness equipment, or who have a schedule that doesn’t allow for regular workout sessions. According to recent research studies, Wii Fit may also make exercise appealing for children who may otherwise not achieve a satisfactory level of physical activity, increasing their health and well-being.

The most recent version of Wii Fit, Wii Fit U (released in 2013), also offers a wearable activity tracker called Wii Fit Meter that measures and displays your daily activity and calories burned and syncs this information with your Wii Fit data.

While the market is flooded with fitness apps and health tracking technology,  Wii Fit offers a unique combination of individualized feedback, automatic tracking, easy accessibility, and fun that makes it an appealing and effective tool for fitness and weight loss at any age and ability level.

What Games are Best for Your Fitness Goals?

There’s certainly no wrong way to exercise, but there definitely are ways to exercise strategically so that you will see the kind of results that you want, faster. By choosing specific games on Wii Fit, you can choose to burn fat, gain muscle, or improve your flexibility and balance.

Games to Burn Fat

If you’re primarily interested in losing weight and burning off excess fat, you’ll want to focus your exercise routine on the dance and aerobic activities offered by Wii Fit. These games will get your heart rate up and you breathing hard while they burn fat and increase your metabolism.

Some of the best aerobic games on Wii Fit include Salsa Dance, Rowing, and Hula Hooping. Keep in mind that you can also use Wii Fit‘s free run activity as a way to get in some extra aerobic exercise while watching your favourite shows on TV!

Games to Gain Muscle

If you’re using  Wii Fit as a way to increase your muscle and look more toned, you’ll want to focus primarily on its strength training games. These games use your body weight and repetitive movements to increase your muscular strength and endurance. Having stronger muscles will help to improve your overall fitness, and increase the number of calories that you burn every day!

Wii Fit‘s strength training activities tend to be less flashy than their aerobic counterparts. Instead of participating in fanciful activities, you are very aware that you are exercising – but this is important because good form is key to getting the results you want!

Some of the most effective strength activities on Wii Fit include the plank challenge (which works almost every muscle in your body), the jack-knife challenge (which works your core), and lunges (which are key for working your legs and rear).

Games to Improve Flexibility and Balance

While the health benefits of flexibility and balance aren’t talked about as much as the other two kinds of fitness, they are incredibly important for maintaining good posture, decreasing stress, and preventing injury.

Wii Fit offers both yoga and balance game activities to help you improve these areas. While balance games tend to be more interactive in nature, the yoga games are more focused on achieving correct poses and controlling your breathing. Combining the two types of activities is the best way for you to strengthen your stabilizing muscles while also working on your dynamic balance!

The wide selection of activities makes for a lot of great combinations, but a good place to start would be with Balance Bubble, Table Tilt, and standing yoga poses like Tree Pose, or Half Moon.

How Can You Get the Results You Want?

Like any good fitness program or video game, using Wii Fit properly takes time and dedication. These nine Dos and Don’ts can help you to achieve your fitness goals without risking injury, getting bored, or burning yourself out!

• Do set clear, measurable, and achievable goals for working out. This can keep you motivated and help you to measure your progress over time.
• Don’t expect change overnight! It make take you three weeks or more before you begin to notice the effects of a change in your fitness habits!
• Do take your time with each of the exercises and perform them properly. Exercising with improper form can quickly lead to injury and forced time off from being physically active. Listen to the guidance that Wii Fit gives you, and follow its instructions as closely as possible.

• Don’t only do your favourite exercises. It can be tempting to only work on Wii Fit games that you are good at or that you enjoy, but this approach can limit your overall fitness improvements and lead to boredom!
• Do set aside time each day to exercise and make it part of your routine! This is one of the most effective ways to make sure you get the results that you want from your Wii Fit.
• Don’t ignore the scores you are receiving as you play! Wii Fit collects tons of information about your form, your weight, and the time you spend working out. Use this information to measure your achievements and set goals.

• Do have fun-filled competitions with friends and family! See who can exercise the most days in a row, reach a new high score in a favourite game, or be the first to hold a challenging yoga pose. This is a great way to keep everyone motivated, and to refresh your dedication to  Wii Fit if you’re starting to get bored!
• Don’t try to do too much too fast. Pace yourself with the program so that you don’t get frustrated, burnt out, or exhausted. Limit the amount of time that you spend on Wii Fit so that you can keep your chance of injury low and can stay excited about using it over a longer period of time.
• Do remember that fitness alone isn’t enough to lose weight! It’s important to also keep an eye on your diet and see if there are any adjustments you can make there that can help to augment your fit lifestyle!

Getting Fit Doesn’t Have to be Completely Regimented!

Even though Wii Fit is a great way to ensure you are active every day, it’s important to participate in other forms of activity too!

Wii Fit is a perfect option for bodyweight exercises, cardio, and yoga, but walking has a lot of benefits for your brain and body health, fitness classes may give you a fun alternative once a week, and you might be interested in doing some additional fitness work with weights!

Leave some room in your fitness schedule for flexibility – it’s good to have a couple days a week that are a different kind of fitness, and having the variation should help you to stay motivated with Wii Fit as well!

Do You Have a Wii Fit? What do you like or dislike about it? Have you been able to stay motivated?